A Trial by Halves

The Voice

"But Er Li is his Grandson, he wouldn't hurt a poor innocent child." she cried plaintively at the voice in the mist while spinning her head in every direction in search of Ye Hua.

"He is the child of a wanted fugitive.  He has no place among the Gods, not when his mother broke a very serious law Su Su.  I know you don't remember, but your loss of memories will not aide you, if anything, you will be tortured severely until you regain them again."  The voice replied, only this time the gentleness seemed to be lessening.

"I don't believe you....." Su Su whispered as the eyes in the mist began to glow and a cackle of laughter filled the air.

"Then let me make myself clearer my dear...." the voice softened again.  "His mother is so heart broken at losing her only son.  He was her pride and joy, a boy she loved so much and would have given her own life to save his.  Can you imagine how it would feel to lose your only son Su Su?  To a woman that the entire Immortal world hates? Just think on that." the whispering voice slowly drifted away and leaving her in a forest that no longer felt joyful or a place of comfort and as she began to run to find a way out, the tears and harsh sobs seemed to bounce off the mist to echo back at her.  Terrified, her cries for help grew louder when she couldn't find a way out.

"Su Su, wake up!" a much harsher voice yelled into her sleep induced mind.

The earth was moving under her feet, and she stumbled as she ran in search of the cabin.  

Growing louder, the voice suddenly wretched her from her dream.

Dragging her struggling body up into arms, Ye Hua held onto her as she cried.  It took Su Su some time to realize it was just a dream.  Just a dream she thought to herself in relief.  

"I'm sorry.  It was just a dream..." she sniffled against him.  Her body was still shaking and though the softness of the voice was still there in her head, the words were slowly fading away, until the dream itself began to lessen.

It was still very early hours of the morning, but dragging her back down onto the bed, Ye Hua held onto her as she once again closed her eyes.  The mist in the forest was what had scared her the most rather than the voice or what it had to say to her, and as Ye Hua gently rubbed her back, the dream lost its potency and Su Su once again returned to a more pleasant dream.

___

Kunlun Mountain

Watching from the other side of the room, Su Jin almost laughed.  She had plenty more to say to this Mortal/Immortal, and she planned to continue until the woman stopped fighting and listened.  Now moving quietly through the cave, she left them alone for a while.  But knowing how quickly time moved in the Mortal world, she did not want to be gone any longer than it took for an incense to burn.

Now heading to Kunlun Mountain, and under a disguise no one would see through, she entered without a fuss.  Su Jin considered herself to be a very intelligent woman, one that was wasted in a harem which gave her no opportunities to show the world exactly what she was capable of.  Only now, she was making it known, if only to Haode who would finally see the mind within the girl as something worthy of a title and rank.  One Ye Hua would also see as fit to rule at his side as his number one wife.  Once she got rid of Bai Qian that is.

Ye Hua loved strong minds, intelligent minds, and for him, she would show him a side of her that he will not want to let go of again.

Now walking about Kunlun Mountain, Su Jin had no idea where to go, but using Qing Cangs energy, she merely had to follow the essence of a dead High God still gathering in the soul lamp.  Unknown to her, she was not aware that her own soul lamp had been taken, but the moment she entered the meditation cave, the lamp came into view.

Horrified and then angry that her own artifact was being used to bring back Mo Yuan, her immediate thought was to smash it, only sudden movement beside the body on the dais had her quickly stilling her steps.

A man was sitting beside the lamp, he was awake and writing on a scroll, but in order to get at the lamp, she would have to move him, only the way his head suddenly raised to look around, had her knowing that he was no ordinary Immortal.  Only a High God would feel her presence, and though she was positive he couldn't see or hear her, she knew he could feel her.

Biting down on her lower lip, Su Jin inched forward.  She had a job to do, and she was hell bent on achieving it, only she needed to get closer to the body.  Slowly and carefully she made her way forward.  The mans eyes narrowed and his head began to spin rapidly as if he could sense her getting closer.

"Who's there?" he called out while inching closer to the lamp.  Then suddenly snatching it into his hands, he held onto it tightly. 

Zhe Yan could certainly feel her there, but even his inner Phoenix couldn't see her when he opened his inner sight, but his Phoenix could feel the presence drawing closer.

At the side of the body, Su JIn gasped audibly.  He looks like Ye Hua.... she thought to herself in horror.  Other than the facial hair, he was the splitting image of him, and as she looked down at the quiet face that didn't move, every memory she had of Ye Huas appearance matching the High God came back to her.

But she knew that man on the dais, wasn't Ye Hua, so taking a few deep breaths, and ignoring the other High God opposite the body, she leaned down to whisper into the man ear.  His soul was still gathering, so he would hear her at a deeper level and what she had to say was based on summation.  

If the Mortal had hid him away for so long, it must have meant that she loved this man very much.  It was noted in the archives, that he had asked his Disciples to wait for him, and it was also assumed that the two had been far too close to each other.  Only the striking resemblance, had her wondering if Su Su had taken Ye Hua in this mans place.  It all made sense to her, and she was now in a position to end it completely.  

"High God Mo Yuan.  Si Yin didn't wait for you.  She loves another.  She even has a child to him.  There is no reason for you to return now." she whispered over and over again while knowing that her words would eventually be taken up by his soul and filtered into his mind as he gathered within his body.

"High God Mo Yuan.  Si Yin, never loved you.  You only thought she did.  She loves a man who looks just like you, but he is much much younger.  You are far too old for her, and she realizes this.  You are also her Shifu.  You should never have fallen for her, because she will never break the Disciple Shifu bond.  She instead found love with your likeness, a man who will give her a real title and the glory of being the Heavenly Empress.  If you come back, she will feel beholden to you.  Do you really want to see her lose a marriage and a child for an old man who can give her nothing but a title of Mistress?  She loves Ye Hua.  Don't bother coming back.  Return to the chaos, your life ended seventy thousand years ago."  

Deep down inside the body that was gathering its soul, the man heard the whispers and his soul shook uncontrollably.  His heart ached and if he had the ability to cry, he would have.  The voice was persistent, it wouldn't let up and continued to hound him.  He understood what it said, he understood what the voice meant, and his soul shifted in agony as the voice continued its relentless campaign to see him leave again.

But Mo Yuan was no fool  He had not become the War God by believing gossip, not when it came at a time that he was gathering inside his body.  Conserving energy, he eventually ignored the voice that did not sound at all friendly, and focused solely on returning.